East Ellijay City Councilmembers reviewed the city’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year and approved moving some financial assets when meeting last Wednesday.
The city’s all funds budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1, is $2.6 million. Mayor Don Callihan said it’s a little, but not a lot more than the current year’s budget, which is $2.5 million.
The council will vote on whether to approve the budget at its June meeting. Callihan said a public hearing for the proposed budget will be held Wednesday, May 31, 3 p.m., at East Ellijay City Hall.
“Any citizen can come in and ask questions about the budget,” he added.
A copy of the proposed budget will also be available for review by the public at City Hall, noted Callihan.
Councilmembers James Waters, Linda Smith, Ed Forrester and Chris Callihan also approved adding existing ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to the new budget and closing out a CD at South State Bank, then reinvesting it with Edward Jones for a higher interest rate.
Callihan said the resolution to add the ARPA funds replaces one that did the same thing for the 2022 budget.
“Because they weren’t on the last budget, we had to amend it and add the funds. All this does is replace that resolution,” he added.
In other news ...
﹣ Mayor Callihan said representatives from local utility providers have inquired about city and county governments supporting expanded rights of way for utility lines.
Callihan said something similar has been done with governments supporting the wider rights of ways in Pickens County, and several utility providers would like to see the same done here. The matter was covered at a recent public utilities meeting that city and county representatives could also attend.
“Out in the county, they want at least a 4-foot curb right of way for utilities. Basically, all you can do on that is overhead because it’s mountainous in a lot of areas. Where they have room, they would like to have 9 feet for underground utilities (including) water, sewer, communications, gas and power,” said Callihan, a former Georgia Power crew supervisor. “I was sympathetic to them because I dealt with the same thing when I was working, so I know what they’re talking about.”
Board members did not take any action on this item, which was discussed during Callihan’s mayor’s report, but it could come up again in the future, he noted.
“I don’t know how this is progressing, but we might end up voting on it,” Callihan said.
﹣ In new business and development updates to the council, City Planner Mack Wood said parapet walls have been installed on top of a Marriott SpringHill Suites Hotel under construction on Cinema Drive.
There had previously been concerns that the hotel would be too high for the city’s allowed height for businesses, but, with the parapet walls now in place, “that’s as high as it’s going to get,” said Wood. There will also be a restaurant built in front of the hotel, he added.
In other new business updates, Wood said East Ellijay will be getting another Waffle House, also near the Marriott site, and a Bojangles on Highland Crossing.
Wood said he will probably have only one more council meeting left as city planner since he’s expecting to retire at the end of June.
﹣ Councilmembers appointed Veronica Kincaid to represent East Ellijay on the Gilmer County Library Board of Trustees.